In The Shadows
by Firehound427
Summary: They're blue macaws. He's a washed-up former soldier. They're returning to Rio on vacation. He's returning to Rio on a mission. They're willing to embrace the past. He wants nothing but to leave it behind, to forget it. They're here to have a good time. He's here to protect them. They don't know he's here. He doesn't want to meet them again. But someday, their paths will cross...
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Rio, or any of its characters. They belong to 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios. Any brand-name products referred to in this fanfic belong to their respective owners.

* * *

**Prologue:**

The sun rose over the Amazonian rainforest, marking another day on this beautiful Earth. Its rays penetrated through any gap it could find, and one of those gaps happened to be the hollow of a tree containing a special family of blue macaws, who were still in a peaceful sleep.

The sun's rays reached the eyelid of one of those macaws, causing her to yawn and open her eyes gently. The macaw then gently stood up, making a special effort not to wake her sleeping children. The macaw had a slender figure, feathers in a mesmerizing bright cerulean color and beautiful baby blue eyes. She definitely deserved the name given to her.

Jewel walked over to her mate, who was still sleeping. He had a scruffier appearance, and his feathers were a darker shade of blue. Jewel gently kissed his head, causing him to start waking up from his sleep. He opened his eyelids, and his chocolate brown eyes met the figure of his mate standing over him.

"Good morning sleepyhead." Jewel said, her angelic voice finally bringing Blu to his senses.

"Good morning my beautiful pearl." Blu responded. Jewel gave a heartwarming smile, and the two macaws moved in for a kiss laced with passion.

"Ew..." A young voice interrupted Blu and Jewel after only a few seconds. They looked over to find Tiago, their youngest child and an almost exact mirror-image of Blu, faking a gag.

"Good morning Tiago, did you sleep well last night?" Blu spoke as he walked over to his son.

"Yeah. I had this dream, that some bad men were coming for us, then this strange man came and started fighting them, and I flew over and helped kick their butts!" Tiago gave a rather vivid recollection of his dream. Blu looked back at Jewel, who was now waking up Carla. The oldest of their three children, this chubby macaw had a passion for music, so she could often be found taking part in the singing and dancing that was part of daily life in this part of the Amazon.

Blu then went over to Bia and woke her up. Bia had inherited her figure and feathers from her mother, but her eyes and her interest in reading from her father.

"Morning dad." Bia said to Blu. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long actually." Blu replied. "Jewel was actually up before me."

"That's odd." Jewel said. "I thought you would be awake the entire night. You have to be excited about what today is, right?"

"You mean..." Blu wondered. "Our vacation to Rio?"

"Exactly." Jewel replied with another heartwarming smile.

"Yipee!" Tiago cheered.

"We can go see Uncle Nico and Uncle Pedro again!" Carla declared.

"We can visit Linda at the bookstore!" Bia added.

"Hold on kids." Blu calmed the youngsters down. "We'll have a long day of travelling ahead of us. We will get going sometime today, but first, let's enjoy the morning."

Indeed, the forest was now alive as the other blue macaws had awoken and were now getting ready for the song and dance that began each morning. Life was very much perfect in the rainforest, but Blu and the kids still liked heading back to their old home in Rio De Janeiro. For now though, the preparation could wait...

* * *

In a small town in eastern New York State, in the United States of America, a black Suburban SUV pulled up outside a garage. Sliding into a parking space, three men got out. Each one was sharply dressed in a black suit and tie, and wore black sunglasses. They were the splitting image of government agents. They marched to the garage where some mechanics were working on old muscle cars in various conditions.

"We're looking for a Tom Fortnell." The lead agent called out. One man reacted to the sudden intrusion, looking up from fixing the engine of an old Mustang. He took a step backwards and straightened his back. The man stood tall, over six foot, and had a solid build backed up by muscular arms. His face had a distinctive moustache and beard, not enough to suggest he didn't bother shaving it in any way, but definitely a step-up from stubble. His slightly weary brown eyes scanned the agents carefully, before he opened his mouth to speak.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The gruff mechanic, spoke, traces of venom present in his slightly-husky voice.

"Tom Fortnell. You're a hard man to find." The lead agent responded.

"Who are you?" Tom asked again. "FBI? CIA?"

"We're actually here from the United States Environmental Protection Agency." The lead agent answered.

"EPA?" Tom sighed. "Look, if you're here to complain about the muscle cars..."

"We're actually here because of you." The lead agent declared.

"Me?" Tom answered. He sighed again and leaned on the Mustang he was working on just moments ago. "Why me?"

"Put simply, you have a shining record." The lead agent stated. "Special-ops, law enforcement. One thing stands out though."

"Huh?" Tom motioned for the agent to carry on.

"In 2011, you took up a job as the chief of security at the Blu Bird Sanctuary in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. You displayed extraordinary courage and determination in protecting rare species, as well as a unique ability."

Memories flashed through Tom's head, and he rested his head on the muscle car and exhaled sharply, before lifting his head and looking at the agent again.

"Look, I don't know why you're telling me this, but all of that?" Tom said, waving a hand in the air. "That's all in the past. I left that behind long ago. And that ability? That's been gone for three years now. I never even figured out how I got it. But if you, or anyone at the EPA have any intention of sending me back there..." Tom clenched a fist and his voice started getting louder.

"Actually, we came to tell you about a job offer." The lead agent responded. "The kind of in-the-shadows, no contact protection work I think you'd like."

"Go ahead." Tom nodded.

"The EPA has started a secret operation known as Operation Trailblazer, an operation to insert secret agents into foreign countries to protect endangered species." The lead agent explained. "If you choose to accept this invitation, you will be sent to Rio De Janeiro. There, you will blend in. You will keep your eyes on the city, and you will be assigned to protect certain species of birds."

"No contact?" Tom asked.

"You will be their guardian angel, operating from the shadows. If you do your job well, they won't even realize you're there." The lead agent replied.

Tom took a moment to think about what the agent was offering. "At least give me some time to think about it?"

"If you wish." The lead agent said. "If you decide to accept, meet us at the drive-in, 6pm, tonight." The lead agent turned to leave. "Oh, and you might want to think about getting some hybrids in here. I can smell the carbon dioxide already." And just like that, the lead agent left, along with the other two agents.

"Who was that?" One of the other mechanics spoke up as the agents got in the SUV and left.

"I'm sure it's nothing." Tom replied. "I don't think they'll be bothering us again." He bent back down to continue working on the engine of the Mustang. He couldn't stop his mind from wandering however. What if he took them up on their offer? What if he went back to Rio De Janeiro?

_What if he met them again?_

* * *

Back in the Amazon rainforest, the blue macaws were busy preparing for their long journey back to Rio De Janeiro. Before they left, Eduardo, an older macaw who was the leader of the tribe, offered his well wishes to his daughter and her family.

"You take care Jewel, OK?" He spoke. "Promise me you'll come back in one piece."

"I promise." Jewel replied.

Eduardo then turned to Blu, who gulped a little. "You keep my daughter safe Blu."

"I promise." Blu nodded, looking over to his beautiful mate, who responded with a smile.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Eduardo broke up the moment. "Have a safe trip!"

"We will!" Jewel said as she turned around to take off with her family.

* * *

While the other mechanics were leaving the garage, Tom had stayed behind while he considered the agent's offer. To ease his mind, he sat in front of a computer, went on YouTube and started browsing videos of Dodge Challengers. After scrolling through a few results, he saw a video with a commercial for the brand-new Challenger, titled "Wisdom." He decided to click on it and let it load.

The video started with a group of old-timers had reached the grand old age of 100 years old, or were close to it. They started speaking about the things they'd learned in their long lives.

_"I am a hundred and six years old, and I know a lot about life."_

_"I want to tell the world what I have learned."_

_"Learn from your mistakes."_

_"Live... for now."_

_"Because life is... good... You make it good._

_"You will learn not to cheat."_

_"There are miracles all around you."_

_"Be strong."_

_"Always tell the truth."_

_"Keep your eyes open... and sometimes your mouth shut."_

After that, the commercial took on a new feeling. The gentle music was replaced by a guitar strum, and the image of a centenarian sitting in the new Challenger. There was some laughing from the old-timers, and the messages started getting more rebellious.

_"Don't complain!"_

_"Don't bitch!"_

The sight of the Challenger doing a burnout.

_"Don't be afraid."_

_"Don't always do what you're told to do."_

Another burnout.

_"Don't be a sissy!"_

_"Suck it up!"_

_"Hesitate, and you lose!"_

_"Be a bad boy!"_

_"Raise hell!"_

_"Put the pedal to the metal!"_

A gear change. An animalistic roar from the Hemi. Images of the new Challenger flashed across the screen.

_"Live fast!"_

The Challenger doing a donut.

_"And never, ever, forget where you came from."_

As the Challenger pulled a burnout off the screen, Tom sat back and thought about what the grandmas and grandpas had just been talking about. He could definitely relate to some of the points the old-timers raised. He looked at the clock in the corner of the screen. 17:13. There was still time. Tom got up from the computer and grabbed some keys off the desk.

"_Learn from your mistakes."_

"_Don't be afraid."_

"_Hesitate, and you lose!"_

"_And never, ever forget where you came from."_

* * *

As the sun started setting, the blue macaws decided to stop off in Manaus for a rest stop. So while the kids were busy getting their energy back, Blu and Jewel sat on a rooftop, watching the world go by.

"Jewel..." Blu spoke. "Sometimes, I look at you and I wonder, how did you, a beautiful, free-spirited bird, fall for me, a socially-awkward companion bird who couldn't even fly?"

"Blu..." Jewel responded. "You may be awkward, but you have a heart of gold, and there is no-one I'd rather be with than with you."

"Not even Rob...?" Blu's reply was quickly interrupted by a passionate kiss from Jewel. Blu didn't even bother to protest, simply savoring the kiss that his mate was providing.

After several seconds, their beaks parted, and both macaws stood there, staring into each other's eyes.

"I love you Jewel." Blu said with a smile.

"I love you too Blu." Jewel replied, and the macaws wrapped their wings around each other in a loving embrace.

* * *

At the local drive-in movie theater, Tom guided the old Ford Torino into a space at the back. The movie hadn't started yet, so he turned off the engine and sat back to wait. It was ten minutes later that the big black SUV drove in and parked next to the muscle car. The agent in the passenger seat motioned for Tom to get in. Tom opened the door and got out of the Torino, before making his way inside the SUV.

"Your answer?" The lead agent asked, getting straight to the point.

Tom took a moment to think. "I'm in." He declared.

"Good. I'm Agent Burnett, by the way." The lead agent finally revealed his name. He handed a folder to Tom, who opened it up to scan the contents. He quickly realized that the photos weren't of any old parrots.

"Are you serious?" Tom wondered. He was staring at photos of Blu and Jewel, as well as of Linda Gunderson and Tulio Monteiro.

"Recently, it was discovered that they were not the last ones of their kind, as previously believed, but there had actually been an entire tribe of blue macaws living in the rainforest, evading human detection. Even so, we have reason to believe that the macaws in the folder are returning to Rio De Janeiro soon. They are still an endangered species, and worth a lot of money on the international black market. Your mission is to protect them from any smugglers or poachers that wish to profit from them."

Tom continued to scan the folder. He knew that this was going from bad to worse. He'd have a lot of awkward questions to answer if anyone found out who he was.

"Meet at JFK airport at 10 o'clock tomorrow. You'll be leaving on flight AA2235. When you land, head to the Rio Othon Palace. It's a hotel in Copacabana. You will get a briefcase containing supplies in your hotel room. Good luck."

Tom got out of the SUV and back inside the Torino. As the SUV started up and left, he sat there in silence, wondering whether he really should've accepted the mission.

"Yes." He answered to himself. "I am going to do this." He leaned back as the movie started.

_I am going to redeem myself..._


	2. Day 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Rio, or any of its characters. They belong to 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios. Any brand-name products referred to in this fanfic belong to their respective owners.

* * *

**Day 1:**

After a long journey, the blue macaw family finally arrived in the marvelous city of Rio De Janeiro. The birds landed in the Vista Chinesa, the gazebo that Blu and Jewel slept in after their escape from the smugglers three years ago.

"This brings back memories, doesn't it?" Jewel asked as she looked around. The kids were busy admiring the view panning out in front of them. Most if not all of the city could be seen from this viewpoint.

"Certainly." Blu answered as he gave a quick peck on the wing of his mate. Now, I'm not sure about you, but that flight made me hungry. How about we have something to eat before we head into the city?"

"Sounds like a good idea." Bia answered, and Carla simply nodded. Tiago opened his beak to protest, but an audible rumbling was heard from his stomach.

"OK kids, I'll go get some mangoes. I'll be back in a little while." Blu said before he took off to find some food for his family.

* * *

_At the airport, Tom got out of the black SUV. He walked towards the door, but Agent Burnett called out to him._

"_Hey, Tom." Burnett spoke. "If you're having second thoughts, you can still turn back."_

_Tom paused._

"_If you want to get back to your old life, just forgetting about the past..." Burnett continued. "Get back in and we'll drop you back at the garage. You can just get back to wasting away your life in a dead-end job fixing up old cars with horrid emissions ratings."_

_Tom turned around._

_Burnett then pointed to the door of the airport. "Choose carefully, because once you go through that door..." He swiped his hand as if he was wiping the surface an invisible table, and shook his head to back it up. "There's no going back."_

_Tom took another couple of seconds to think, then turned back around and walked through the door into the airport._

"Excuse me sir." Tom was shaken out of his flashback by a flight attendant's voice. He looked up at the attendant. "Please may I ask you to fasten your seatbelt?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." Tom nodded and buckled up his seatbelt. He then felt his beard. It would be strange seeing someone with a beard in Rio De Janeiro, but going clean-shaven would leave his face recognizable. He didn't want anyone knowing who he was and asking awkward questions. Thinking about his next move, Tom then stared out of the plane window as the plane descended through the clouds and land could be seen.

* * *

Blu returned with some juicy mangoes for himself, his mate and the children. Jewel was busy telling a story to Carla, Bia and Tiago. Jewel's face lit up at the sight of her mate returning with the tasty fruit.

"Tuck in." Blu said.

The ravenously hungry children didn't need telling twice before they moved in and started devouring the mango. In two minutes flat, the fruit had all but disappeared.

"Wow, that flight must've tired them out." Jewel observed.

"Not exactly." Tiago objected. "I've still got some energy left." He then loosed off a big yawn. Jewel couldn't help but giggle a little.

She then turned to her mate. "So, where are we going to go first?" She asked.

Blu thought a little. "Probably down to Linda's bookstore. I think she'll be over the moon to see us."

"I don't think that would be possible." Jewel replied, thinking a little literally.

"Just a figure of speech." Blu explained.

Jewel smiled a little. "That's my Blu bird." She said before tucking into her mango.

* * *

Tom strolled into his hotel room at the Rio Othon Palace. It had been a long flight and the sun was starting to set. Tom looked beside the bed to find a large briefcase. He hoisted it onto the bed and opened it up to find the supplies Burnett had promised.

The first thing he pulled out was some spare clothes. As was to be expected. The next thing he found was a cell phone. He presumed it was prepaid, so as to avoid tracing. There were fake ID's, with an alias of Paul Johnson. He also found a P229 handgun, along with a note to only use it in special circumstances, and a concealed-carry holster. There was 35,000 reais in the bottom of the briefcase, which Tom figured was worth nearly $16,000, along with a photo of Blu and Jewel posing for a photo with their kids, as well as Linda, Tulio and Fernando.

_As if he needed to be reminded of what they looked like._

The phone in the hotel rang. Tom immediately got off the bed and walked over to the phone, picking it up and placing it to his ear.

"Tom." It was Burnett. "Or should I say, Agent Fortnell. Do you have the briefcase?"

"Yes." Tom replied. "It's on the bed."

"Good. Your primary mission is to protect the blue macaws, but you are permitted to protect any other animals safe as long as you don't compromise your mission."

"Understood."

"Once I hang up, you're on your own. Use your own judgement, and watch your back. Good luck." After a couple of seconds, Burnett hung up. Tom put the phone back down and sighed.

"Might as well get my eyes on the city." He said to himself. He put on a cap to complete his disguise before walking out of the hotel room.

* * *

Linda was currently processing a book for a customer. She typed in the details onto her computer, as well as a date for return.

"Bring this book back by the 16th of July." Linda told the customer. "And have fun reading it!" She said with a smile. The customer nodded and walked out through the door. Before the door closed, however, five blue streaks darted through the gap. The blue macaws then slowed down and landed on Linda's desk.

"Oh, hey guys!" Linda was overjoyed to see the macaws again. She did her 'secret handshake' with Blu. "Are you enjoying it in the Amazon?" A few squawks confirmed her answer. "Good. If there's any books you want to read, just point them out to me and I'll go and get it, OK?"

Blu and Bia nodded and flew around the library to find a book. Settling on a book about jungle animals, the two macaws landed on the shelf and squawked to get Linda's attention. The human pulled the book off the shelf, carried it to a table where she put it down and opened it to the first page. The macaw family gathered around the book.

"Enjoy!" Linda said before picking a book of her own to read.

* * *

Tom was walking on a footpath next to Copacabana Beach. He was thinking about his assignment, and decided to stop off in a nearby bar while he thought about what he was going to do. Taking a seat, he leaned back and stared off into the night sky.

"Excuse me sir?" Tom was once again interrupted by a voice, this time an accented, deep male voice. He looked at the source, seeing a dark-skinned older man, in his late-forties and with a look that suggested experience. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." Tom replied, thinking about his earlier experience on board the plane. "I'll have a Sprite please. You know what that is?"

"Certainly." The older man said. "I'll be right back."

It was only about twenty seconds before he was back with Tom's drink. Tom thanked him and handed him a 2 real note. He then started sipping the soda while he thought about what he was doing here.

_Keeping them safe without them even realizing he was there? This was gonna be harder than he thought..._


	3. Day 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Rio, or any of its characters. They belong to 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios. Any brand-name products referred to in this fanfic belong to their respective owners.

* * *

**Day 2:**

The macaw family were already awake with excitement by the time the clock struck nine. They were just too excited to be back in their old home, even though they had stayed over at Linda's bookstore for the night. After Blu woke Linda up with the old alarm clock routine, they headed downstairs, where Linda made some pancakes for them. Jewel accepted this, understanding by now that Blu would always be a little domesticated.

"So, where shall we go first?" Blu said as he tucked into his pancake.

"Can we go down the club?" Carla enthusiastically asked.

"I don't think so, not now." Jewel answered. "Besides, we'll probably go in the evening someday."

"OK, I understand." Carla replied.

"How about we head to the sanctuary?" Bia suggested.

Blu's face lit up. "That sounds like a good idea! I don't know how long it's been since Tulio last saw us, I think it's been at least a few months."

"It's settled then." Jewel said. "After breakfast, we'll head over to the sanctuary. Blu probably knows the way." She winked at her mate, who smiled before returning to his pancake.

* * *

Tom was already awake and walking past Copacabana beach again. He was currently just patrolling, figuring out what the threat level currently was. That was going to be hard, considering he didn't know where the blue macaws were.

He looked up to find the macaw family in question taking flight and heading north.

_Probably heading to the sanctuary..._

To be honest, Tom did think about heading for the sanctuary himself, but shook that thought off.

_He couldn't go back._

Instead, he stopped at a bus stop and waited for a bus to come along. He figured he might as well see where the bus would take him. While he waited, he picked up a newspaper and read through the news articles. There were a few articles, but one that stood out was about the blue macaws in a protected part of the Amazon rainforest. It was at that moment that Tom couldn't help but think.

_What was he doing here?_

The bus soon arrived, and Tom got on along with the other passengers.

* * *

At the Blu Bird Sanctuary, the macaw family went in through an open window and landed on Tulio's desk. The ornithologist soon walked through into his office, rubbing his eyes. When he saw the macaws, his face lit up and he scooted over to the birds.

"Hey guys!" He spoke. "It's been a while!" He held out his arm and Blu flew up to land on it. Tulio then picked up a pellet and held it between his lips. Blu, initially unsure of what Tulio was trying to do, slowly moved in and used his beak to bite the pellet and pull it out of Tulio's lips. He then chewed on the pellet.

Blu's kids started laughing. "What?" Blu asked. To the kids, it looked like he had just kissed Tulio on the lips.

"I've got to admit Blu, that was..." Jewel looked past Tulio and the sight her eyes locked on to made her blood run cold, her eyes go wide and her heart skip a beat. Blu noticed this and flew down beside his mate to see what made her react that way.

Nearby, Nigel was watching them from a cage, along with the not-a-poisonous frog from the Amazon. Nigel's eyes narrowed at the sight of the birds he hated above all others.

Tulio noticed what they were looking at. "Oh, them?" He explained. "That's the sulphur-crested cockatoo and poison dart frog we brought back from the Amazon. They seem to have some sort of relationship, though I haven't managed to figure out why. Also, the frog seemed to be able to touch the cockatoo without poisoning him. Maybe we need to run further tests... Guys?" Tulio turned around to find the macaws had already left the room. With a sigh, the ornithologist walked out of his office to continue with his work.

The family were flying around the fake rainforest where Blu and Jewel met for the first time. Once they judged that Nigel was not following them, they landed on the branch of a tree.

Blu looked around. "Wow." He said. "Talk about a nostalgia trip. I can hear the song already..." He closed his eyes and muttered, "Sing it Lionel."

"This rainforest seems convincing enough..." Bia observed. "But the humidity is a little too high and I can tell the sounds are being played on a loop."

Jewel smiled at her daughter's display of intelligence. She could definitely relate to the points she was making, having lived in an actual rainforest for a few months now.

"So this is where you guys met?" Carla asked.

"Indeed." Blu responded. "I remember it like yesterday..." He looked at Jewel and shared a smile with her.

And so the macaws started sharing their story of what brought them together three years ago.

* * *

Tom's bus ride had taken him to Botafogo. He got off the bus and looked up towards the mountains. He could make out the statue of Christ the Redeemer, arms outstretched, watching over the city.

_Redemption._

Tom could hear squawking and some laughing. Whipping around, he could find some teenagers, obviously up to no good. Crossing the road, he saw the teenagers throwing stones, and a pair of military macaws fleeing to a rooftop.

"Hey!" Tom called out to the troublemakers as he marched towards them. "What are you doing?"

"None of your business." Replied the lead teenager.

"Oh, none of my business, huh?" Tom pointed to the military macaws, who were now cowering up on a rooftop, afraid to move. "Throwing stones at them? Seriously?"

"They're just some stupid birds." Another teen shot back.

"Yeah, well, haven't you stopped to consider that they may be living creatures, just like you or me? That they have emotions too?" Tom could see that his attempts to get the teens to back down weren't working, as they just laughed.

"Keep walking, old man, and leave us in peace." The lead teen spoke before he eyed the military macaws on the rooftop. He took another stone and prepared to aim.

"How would you like it if I threw some stones at _you_ then?" Tom argued.

The lead teen just ignored him and moved his arm back, ready to throw his projectile at the military macaws.

"Thiago!" One of the teens stopped him. "Look out!"

The lead teen looked to his right to find Tom had picked up a stone and was getting ready to throw it at _them_. The teens yelled and started running away from the angry man, who hurled the stone after them.

"Get outta here!" Tom yelled at the retreating troublemakers. He then sighed and looked up at the military macaws, in awe of the stranger who had just come and saved them. Tom simply sighed again and walked off.

"Freaking troublemakers..." He muttered.

* * *

Meanwhile, the blue macaw family soared high above the city, making their way past the favelas where Jewel and Blu were taken after they were birdnapped. They flew towards the jungle, stopping off at the tree hollow belonging to their old friend Rafael.

"Wasn't this where we ended up after we tried to break the chain with a rock?" Blu asked.

"Yes it was!" Jewel remembered. "What a failure that was."

"Getting dragged at high speed with you in tow?" Blu added. "It wasn't my finest moment."

"But you are such an adorable goofball Blu." Jewel finished.

"Speaking of adorable..." Carla spoke. The two adult macaws looked to Carla to find her hugging a toucan child.

The smiles faded from Blu and Jewel's faces as another memory of that day came back to them. Before they could even speak to tell the oldest daughter to be careful, a battle cry of "ATTACK!" was heard, and within moments, the macaw family was assaulted by a horde of crazy toucan children.

"They're a lot older than I remember them!" Blu shouted. "And their beaks are a lot bigger too! OW!" He screamed as a feather was pulled. Jewel, Bia and Tiago weren't doing much better, currently being repurposed as a trampoline.

"Kids! Stop!" A voice called from high up. "Or I WILL call your mama!" Upon hearing that last word, the toucan kids darted off, away from the exhausted blue macaws.

"Aye..." Rafael lamented as he landed next to the macaws. "Still a handful... How are you doing my amigos?"

"We've been better..." Jewel answered as she picked herself up off the floor.

"I've been trying to teach them not to attack guests like that." The toucan continued. "Seems like I should get Eva to do it instead. Anyway, what brings you here?"

"We're on our vacation." Blu explained. "And we're giving our kids a tour of where me and Jewel went when we met each other."

"Ah. Sounds like you're having fun..." Rafael looked past them. "Hey, Sofia!" He shouted. "That is not a piñata, stop bashing it!" It was too late, as Sofia whacked a mango hanging off a branch, causing it to explode into hundreds of chunks that splattered all over the macaws.

"Yuk." Jewel exclaimed as she tried to shake some juice off her dirty feathers.

"Ah..." Rafael finished. "We should go get you cleaned up."

* * *

Tom had decided to get off the bus just before reaching Copacabana, and walk the rest of the way. As he walked, he came across a library. On the window was two feathers, as well as 'Livraria Blu' in writing.

_Hang on a minute... He remembered this old place._

He quickly thought about going in, but shook it off just as rapidly. Instead, he looked at the car parked outside, a blue Kia Rio, presumably belonging to the owner of the library. He memorized the license plate, then kept walking.

Tom eventually reached the bar next to Copacabana beach, and took a seat.

"Back again?" The older man immediately inquired.

"Yeah, it's me." Tom replied. "I'll have another Sprite, if you don't mind."

"OK, coming right up." The older man left to get the drink.

Tom suddenly had a brainwave.

_This place was a good place to get an ear on some of the local gossip._

When the older man returned with his drink, Tom spoke up.

"Say, you got any placements for part-time work here?" He suggested.

"Well, come to think of it..." The older man put a finger on his chin. "I have been a little short-staffed lately... If you wanted to work here, I think that would be alright."

"OK. When can I start? Tomorrow?" Tom asked.

"Tomorrow sounds good." The older man shook his hand. "My name is Carlos. Carlos Barreto."

Tom thought about his fake ID. "Paul. Paul Johnson."

* * *

Up on the Pedra Bonita Gliding Ramp, Rafael showed the blue macaw family where Blu had his first experience of flying.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Tiago asked.

"I dunno..." Blu thought for a little while. A glider took off from the ramp, the passenger screaming his lungs out as he went for a flight. That gave Blu an idea. "I know! How about we try landing on one of those gliders?"

"While it's in flight?" Carla inquired, obviously a little skeptical.

"Yes." Jewel answered. "All we've got to do is wait for one to take off again, then catch up to it and land on the big wing."

As if on cue, another glider took flight. "Go!" Blu said and the macaw family took off to catch up to it.

"Have fun guys!" Rafael shouted after them as he turned around to head back to his family.

Jewel caught up to the glider first and performed a smooth landing on the wing. The rest of the family soon followed.

"Wow!" Bia spoke. "This is amazing!" No amount of books could prepare her for the sheer, breathtaking sight of Rio below them.

"I can feel the wind rushing!" Tiago exclaimed.

"Nice, isn't it?" Blu responded. "Close your eyes and feel it!" The macaws closed their eyes and just felt the wind. Blu stretched out his wings subconciously, until they were open enough for the wind to catch them and hurl Blu backwards off the glider. "Whoa!"

Jewel opened her eyes when she heard the scream and looked back.

"Not again..."


	4. Day 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Rio, or any of its characters. They belong to 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios. Any brand-name products referred to in this fanfic belong to their respective owners.

* * *

**Day 3:**

Tom pulled up outside Carlos' bar, and got out of the car he'd bought the day before. It was a little Volkswagen Gol, the kind of old compact that wouldn't stand out in the streets of Rio. Walking over to the bar, Carlos was there to greet him.

"Good morning Paul." Carlos spoke, not knowing Tom's true identity. "I see you're early. Want to get to work already?"

"If possible, yes." Tom replied.

"Then I'm sure you know what to do." Carlos answered before he marched out from behind the bar to set up the tables ready for the day ahead.

* * *

At one of the many markets in Ipanema, the macaw family were busy trying out some fruits.

"Mmmm!" Carla said as she took a bite out of an apple. "This is tasty!"

Blu chewed a small chunk of banana. Nico and Pedro came up behind him, unnoticed.

"Waddup Blu bird!" Pedro greeted, causing Blu to almost choke on the banana.

"Argh, please don't do that again." Blu complained as he faced the party animals.

"Sorry Blu." Nico apologized. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm alright." Blu replied. "What brings you here?"

"We was wondering if you guys wanted to come to the club with us." Pedro asked.

"Hmm..." Blu thought. "I think it would be OK. Let me just check with..."

"Hey mom!" Tiago called to Jewel while holding a big yellow fruit. "Try this, it's delicious!"

"OK." Jewel walked over and prepared to take a big bite out of the fruit.

"Uh, Jewel?" Blu tried to warn his mate. "I don't think that's a good..."

Jewel pierced the lemon with her beak and took a big bite out of it. Almost immediately, her eyes shot open and she let go of the fruit.

"Ow! Ow!" She screamed and ran around.

"Uh..." Nico stood in mild horror as Jewel ran for the nearest water bucket, dunking her head in the water.

Pedro simply did the same slide-whistle-crash effect as when Blu ingested the leaf on that cable car.

* * *

Approaching midday, the bar was busy with people looking to cool down with a nice drink. Tom was walking around the tables, tending to those wanting a nice refreshing beverage. He stopped near to a table with four men sitting at it. He opened his mouth to ask them if they wanted a drink, but decided to let them finish their conversation first.

"I'm telling you man, I'm nervous." One of the men said.

"Shut up." Replied the other.

"All we gotta do is this one job and we'll be good." The third man added.

_This one job?_

"Yeah, this one job on the north side." The fourth man finished. They then fell silent for a few seconds, giving Tom his cue.

"Hey." Tom spoke up. "You guys want a drink?"

"Eh, just make it four Brahmas and quick." The second man answered.

"Sure, I'll get it right away." Tom rushed off to get the men some beer.

_If they're talking about a job on the north side, he would probably want to investigate._

As he returned with the drinks, he could hear snippets of the tail end of a conversation coming from the four men.

"And once...the docks...be home free...the boat arrives..."

Tom put down the drinks at the table. "Here you go. Enjoy!"

"Yeah, sure..." The third man dismissed him. Tom turned around and started walking back to the bar.

_Sounded like something he wanted to check out._

* * *

Inside the club, there was some dancing music playing loud and birds all over the place, flying, dancing and generally having a good time. Carla looked around, obviously in paradise. The other macaws soon followed. Blu and Jewel looked at each other, memories of their first dance coming back to them.

"Alright everybody." Pedro spoke on the microphone. "I want y'all to give a big welcome back to our favorite blue macaws and their kids. Give a cheer!"

A big cheer went up from the crowd, making the macaws feel welcomed.

"Some welcome, huh?" Jewel asked.

"Yeah." Blu said softly.

"Now I think it's time that we got a song on specially for our lovebirds, huh?" Nico spoke. "Blu, come up here!" The canary motioned for Blu to get on the stage, and a spotlight shone on the male blue macaw to drive the point home.

"I guess I'm up." Blu nervously said, looking at Jewel. His mate's heartwarming smile seemed to make his doubts melt away, and he smiled back before climbing up on the stage.

As soon as Blu got to the microphone, the song started. It sounded a bit like a song from the 80's. It certainly wasn't anything Blu had heard of.

"I don't know this song!" Blu said.

"Don't worry." Nico answered. "Just follow this..." He pointed to an old TV monitor, which Pedro smacked into life. "...And follow your heart."

Blu looked at the TV monitor, which was starting to display karaoke lyrics. He took one last gulp as the song headed towards the first line.

"She's a metropolitan girl..." Blu sang. "In a fancy raven dress on. She's alright when everything's wrong."

The crowd started moving.

"She's dancing in the streets all night. She's merging with the city lights. She can cheat you or can be your guide. She's a spirit of the night."

The chorus came, and Blu sang "She's a spirit of the night" three more times, looking at Jewel and the kids as he did so. "She kneels me down. She kneels me down, I wear a plastic crown."

Blu ooh-ed a bit before the next part came.

"She's a metropolitan girl. Maybe someone that I could've known. Maybe leaves or plays a role."

Jewel danced a bit as Blu sang.

"She's a phantom flying like a kite. She's got twilight walking by her side. She's the one who's always on my mind. She's a spirit of the night."

The crowd danced again and a few cheers came up.

"She's a spirit of the night. She's a spirit of the night. She's a spirit of the night. She kneels me down. She kneels me down, I wear a plastic crown."

Blu took a short break as the song went gentle.

"Whoo!" Carla whooped.

"You go dad!" Bia shouted. Blu smiled a bit.

"She's a spirit of the night..."

The music started getting good again and the crowd really started dancing.

"Ooooh, yeah!" Blu sang, repeating it a few times before the song ended.

An almighty cheer went up from the crowd at Blu's incredible performance. He just stood there, looking at the crowd. He then looked straight ahead to find Jewel flying rapidly towards him.

"Whoa!" Blu shouted as Jewel flew straight into him, knocking him off his talons. The female macaw tackled her mate to the ground, where she started showering him with kisses.

Pedro slid up next to Nico as the two party animals looked at Blu getting pummeled by the onslaught of love.

"Mission accomplished." Pedro stated.

"Ooh, yeah." Nico replied with a smirk.

* * *

After a busy day, Tom was walking through Botafogo again, when he heard some voices in a nearby alley. Curiosity got the better of the big American as he walked into the alley to see what was up. When he got there, his eyes narrowed.

The teenage troublemakers he'd encountered the previous day were throwing stones at birds on rooftops to get them to move. There were also three big men with nets ready to catch the birds.

_Smugglers._

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Tom called. The teens reacted instantly to that familiar voice.

"Hey, it's the old man again!" One of the teens spoke.

"And what are _you_ doing here?" One of the smugglers asked.

Tom noticed that there was already a blue-throated macaw in a cage on the ground. A critically-endangered species.

_Time to act._

"You let that parrot go." Tom pointed to the macaw in the cage. "You get out of here and we can forget about this."

"Like some stranger that just shows up is going to deny us a big payday." Another smuggler replied. "Now get out of here."

Tom did nothing.

"I said, get out of here."

Tom did not move.

"I really don't want to have to do this..." He warned.

"Don't want to have to do what?" The third smuggler wondered, just before Tom ran up and punched him in the face.

"What the..." The first smuggler said. "Oh, now it's on!"

Tom's military hand-to-hand combat training kicked in as the smuggler walked towards Tom with his fists in front of his face. With a yell, he swung at the big American, only to have him dodge and counter with two punches to the stomach. When the smuggler put his fists down in front of his body to protect it from another hit, Tom sent a blow right into the smuggler's face, breaking his nose and sending him stumbling backwards, falling onto his back.

The second smuggler was next. He charged towards Tom, trying to tackle him. Tom simply stood to one side and tripped him up as he passed, sending him slamming into the floor. The third smuggler then approached, and Tom stood ready to fight. The smuggler made the first move, hitting Tom with a right jab in the face and gripping onto his opponent. Tom countered with a tight grip on the smuggler's body, and the two men started twirling around as they headed towards a wall, both men trying to pin their opponent and get the upper hand.

The third smuggler gripped Tom and rammed him head-first into the wall. Tom grunted and shook his head, then charged at the smuggler. As the second smuggler got back up, Tom and the third smuggler plowed into him, sending the three sprawling to the ground. Tom recovered quickly, getting on top of the two, gripping the third smuggler's head and smacking it into the second smuggler's head, knocking the second smuggler right out.

Tom then dragged the third smuggler back onto his feet and used his right fist to punch the senseless smuggler twice. As he prepared for the knockout blow, he paused as he felt a small pebble hit his cheek. He turned his head to look at the teenagers, one of whom had thrown the pebble.

"Really?" Tom asked with an are-you-serious face. He then kneed the smuggler hard in the groin, finally knocking him down. That was all the encouragement the teens needed to turn tail and run out of there.

Tom breathed hard after that fight. He started feeling light-headed, likely as a result of one of the smugglers ramming him into the wall. He wiped his mouth with his arm, then looked at the blue-throated macaw in the cage. He knelt down and picked up a big stone, then smashed the padlock on the cage. Swinging open the now-unlocked door, the macaw bolted straight out of there, obviously glad to be free.

Tom then stood up. He felt even more light-headed, and started walking towards the other end of the alley, stumbling like a 2 a.m. drunk. He eventually reached the end of the alley, crossing the road and heading into a park. He sat down hard on a bench, where he exhaled hard and looked at the sky just before his vision went black.

* * *

Eventually landing back inside their old tree house, the macaw family kicked back and relaxed after a long day.

"Home sweet home!" Blu declared as he flooped on the little bird-couch.

"That was an awesome performance dad!" Carla said as she sat down beside him.

Jewel walked up and put a wing on his back. "That's my Blu." She said sweetly.

"So." Blu spoke. "Any idea what we are going to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know." Carla responded. "Do you know of anything mom?"

"Perhaps we'll worry about that tomorrow." Jewel replied. "Right now, I think what we all need is a nice rest."

"OK." Carla got up off the couch and flew out through the window to her room.

"Thanks for the song, sweetie." Jewel whispered to Blu, who smiled a bit harder.

* * *

After what seemed like a few minutes, but was actually an hour, Tom finally woke up. He looked around at his surroundings. He still felt a little light-headed, and he decided to stay on the park bench for a little while longer.

"Oh, looks like he's finally awake." Tom could hear a male voice.

"Is he? Let me see..." A female voice replied. "He looks familiar..."

Tom looked to his left, then to his right. He couldn't see anyone. He then scanned straight ahead. There _were_ people in the park, but they were all on the other side, way out of earshot. Tom then thought a little, and looked up. He saw two military macaws, the same ones he had saved from the teenagers the day before.

"Now you mention it, he does look familiar." The male macaw spoke.

"Do you think he's alright?" The female macaw asked the male.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Tom answered. "I just..." He paused. The macaws' eyes widened. No-one spoke for several seconds.

The female macaw broke the silence. "He just talked!"

"What..." Tom said. "What the hell?"

"He seems to be alarmed." The male macaw observed.

"You could say yeah, I'm alarmed." Tom answered. "Because I can hold a conversation with some parrots!" He exhaled. "Oh man..."

The two macaws, obviously intrigued, flew down onto the bench next to Tom.

"Are you sure you're alright?" The female macaw said.

"I'm not sure myself." Tom replied. "If I told someone I could speak to parrots, they'd call me crazy, no doubt."

"This is incredible." The female macaw remarked.

"Well, seeing as you can somehow understand us..." The male macaw extended his right wing. "My name is Bernardo, and this..." He put his other wing around the female macaw. "This is my mate, Morena. We would like to thank you for saving us from those brutes yesterday."

"Hey, no problem." Tom said huskily as he shook Bernardo's wing. "Name's... Paul."

"We have to tell someone about this!" Morena declared. Tom shook his head at the idea.

"I don't think Paul is comfortable with that dear." Bernardo said.

"Uh, no." Tom confirmed. "I'd rather you didn't tell anyone about this."

"Seeing as we are in your debt, we shall keep quiet." Bernardo promised. The two macaws then took off from the bench, heading back in the direction of the forest.

Tom was left just sitting there on the bench, taking in the events of the past few minutes.

_So magic really could happen for real in Rio._


End file.
